Hanging Plants That Last All Summer

Hanging Plants That Last All Summer

Foliage and flowering plants are an significant part the outside landscape, adding bright spots of green foliage and colorful flowers in several spots. Trailing plants which hang from baskets or other containers can be versatile and appealing choices for a home gardener. Several types are non-stop growers and bloomers, lasting through the entire summer.

Million Bells

The thousand bells plant (Calibrachoa sp.) Gets its title from the exceptionally high number of flowers it produces all season, with a single plant supporting hundreds of 1-inch wide flowers at any certain time. Blossoms resemble short trumpets with flaring petals and come in several colours, including purple, pink, red, magenta, yellow or white, depending on the cultivar. The plant trailing stems are 8 to 12 inches long and hang magnificently from baskets or planters. It grows well in average, well-drained soil and prefers full sun, but can tolerate some shade and withstands short dry spells. Million bells grows outside year around in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 and is grown as an annual elsewhere.

Ivy Geranium

A non-stop bloomer all summertime, ivy geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) are good options for hanging planters, either alone or mixed with other flowering or foliage plants. They bloom in several colours, including some cultivars with variegated flowers and a few with variegated foliage. Common colors include purple, red, white and lavender, with a few flowers striped with white or lighter hues of the dominant shade. Their trailing stems can be as long as 3 feet, making them especially dramatic in a hanging planter. Ivy geraniums need routine moisture, can tolerate whole sun but prefer light shade, and bloom best when spent flowers are often removed. They grow outdoors year round in USDA zones 10 and 11, and as annuals elsewhere.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia plants (Fuchsia sp.) , sometimes referred to as lady’s eardrops, grow well and bloom all summer if given the proper conditions. Famous for their drooping, tubular flowers with long stamens and vibrant, recurving sepals, fuchsia plants have 1- to 2-feet long, trailing stems and abundant flowers which are frequently bi-colored, together with the petals and recurving sepals in contrasting colours. Their flowers also attract hummingbirds, an additional bonus. Fuchsias prefer partial to full shade, even though they can grow in sun if given frequent, deep watering. They are generally grown as summer annuals, but can survive outdoors year round in USDA zones 10 and 11.

Portulaca

Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora), also referred to as moss rose, is a plant with fleshy leaves and stems and incredibly attractive, ruffled, rose-like flowers in orange, purple, red, white or yellow. A South American native, the plant thrives in poor soil, tolerates drought really well and is essentially a carefree plant which matches all summertime with ongoing growth and blossoms. Though it can be implanted in the ground, it excels when grown in a hanging container, together with stems which become more as the season progresses. Portulaca needs full sun for best blooming and is generally grown as a summer annual, even though it might endure year round in USDA plant zones 10 and 11, where winters are frost-free.

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